Puppy Love
by Butteryfly Truths
Summary: Alfred dares Arthur to get a puppy and together they attempt to raise it (well Arthur tries and fails spectacularly while Alfred laughs). He quickly learns that raising a puppy is nothing like raising a cat... Rated T for language and the destruction of Arthur's sanity as well as a few socks.
1. Chapter 1

**Woo new story! (I swear I'm working on my other ones but this one just took over everything and I just HAD to write it)**

 **Summary - Alfred dares Arthur to get a puppy and together they attempt to raise it.**

 **Warnings - Language, gag-inducing amounts of domestic USUKUS fluff in later chapters, furniture and other household items destroyed and oh yeah that one left sock**

 **Disclaimer - I do not own Hetalia though I do own two dogs**

Puppy Love

Chapter 1

Admittedly, Arthur and Alfred argued. A lot. Usually about things that most other people would see as trivial. Most of the time it usually was. At the point at which they began one of their pointless feuds- the rest of the world now referred to them as lovers tiffs courtesy of Francis, naturally -the other nations would call an impromptu break and head outside in the hopes that when they returned the two English-speaking nations would sort everything out. This happened to be one of those times.

"I still don't understand why you can't just speak _proper_ English!"

"Cause it's too fancy and you put unnecessary letters in them!"

" _Excuse_ me?"

Yes, most of these arguments tended to start over their common language (both would contest that they had their own separate language). Regardless, many times (read: almost every single time) these arguments boiled down into taunting insults challenging their respective manhoods.

"Please, you call that bastardized version of football manly? You wouldn't last five seconds in one of my rugby matches, love," Arthur scoffed, staring down Alfred from across the table- they'd taken to opposite sides earlier in the argument. Alfred pinked at the insult and lashed back immediately.

"Says the little old cat lady who knits!" he shot back, a triumphant smirk on his face in accordance to Arthur's sputtering.

"I am not a little old lady, and cats are a perfectly respectable pet to own!" he retorted.

"Yeah for little old ladies and chicks, and I have yet to hear you defend your knitting old man." Arthur could feel his face grow hot.

"I-idiot!"

"Come on Art, we all know that owning a dog is the sign of a _true_ man," Alfred taunted, smirk still firmly in place as he seemed to loom across the table. Arthur's face was completely red at this point.

"I am most certainly a man, you twat!"

"Prove it then. I triple dog dare ya to get a dog and raise it from a pup," Alfred taunted. For a split second Arthur's common sense reared its head and told him that he really shouldn't accept the dare. Unfortunately, Arthur wasn't exactly one to always listen to common sense, especially when he was angry.

"Fine I accept your ridiculous dare- though I can hardly fathom how daring me three times to do it will make me more inclined," England shot back. He crossed his arms over his chest defiantly and glared at the insolent nation across from him. His gaze shifted momentarily to the large oak doors that were still closed. The other nations would probably be coming back soon to try and restart the meeting.

"They'll probably be back in a couple of minutes," Alfred stated offhandedly, unintentionally voicing Arthur's thoughts aloud.

"I realize that git," Arthur grumbled as he walked over to the other side of the table to sit at his spot. Alfred grinned and plopped down next to him- he really needed to speak to Ludwig about possibly not having them sit in alphabetical order for all the meetings. Honestly, what did they expect when they put the United States and the United Kingdom side by side? The two of them hugging and then running off into the sunset?

"Remember what you just promised," Alfred told Arthur just as the doors opened and Ludwig poked his head in cautiously. Assessing that it was safe to come back in as neither the chairs nor table was broken nor were there any lewd noises being admitted from either blond Ludwig opened the doors fully and allowed the rest of the G8 to re-enter.

(Arthur still turned red at the memory of Ludwig walking in on them having sex. It wasn't his fault that Alfred was so bloody attractive and that they had so much sexual tension after not seeing each other for months at a time! Though perhaps the conference table wasn't exactly the best place to be bent over and fucked)

"Yes, yes I am a gentleman remember? I am a man of my word," Arthur replied offhandedly as he tried to focus on Germany, whom had gone up to the front of the room to continue sharing his ideas on biomass and other ecologically friendly fuel sources his country was currently exploring in response to global warming from where he had left off before the impromptu break.

Now that they weren't arguing anymore Arthur had calmed down and realized what he had agreed to, or at least the concept of the dare. Regardless of why Arthur chose to take the bet, Arthur felt that he had very little to worry about and that the secretive, victorious smirk Alfred was sending his way was completely uncalled for. He'd taken care of many types of animals throughout the years, and for the past century or so had even perfected the art of managing a cat.

If he could handle such fickle creatures, then a puppy should be no problem. Hell, he wouldn't even face the problem of having a dog and cat living under the same roof as his last cat had passed away a few years prior. He'd seen his Queen with her corgis and while he'd never taken care of them personally, they seemed to be rather well-behaved to him.

 _Just you wait and see. I'll have them so well trained that by the time the git comes around I'll have them howling God Save the Queen on command._

 **So not a lot going on in this chapter- really it's more of a prologue than anything. I promise the next one will be much longer :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Warnings - Language, fluffy domestic USUKUS officially starting now, future destruction of socks and pillows**

 **Disclaimer - I do not own Hetalia (birthday shoutout to Hima papa!)**

Chapter 2

After the meeting Arthur was looking forward to relaxing for the rest of the day in Alfred's Virigian house- the place seemed more like a small mansion. What do the kids call them these days? McMansions? Though Arthur couldn't exactly judge or else he'd be a hypocrite -before taking an early morning flight out of Norfolk International and back to London. It was a shame that he'd only been able to spend a few days with Alfred before he'd be returning home and not being able to see the lad for another few months until another meeting drew them together, but such is the life of nations who chose monogamy.

Alfred was unusually quiet on the way home, which had Arthur curious. The younger nation only grew quiet like this when he was thinking hard on something. He tried to get Alfred to tell him what was going on but the boy refused to open up, giving half-answers and switching the topic before returning to silence. Well, he supposed that a quiet Alfred was better than an obnoxiously loud one. Why couldn't he be like this during their meetings?

"Hey I gotta make a few quick calls kay?" Alfred told him as they got out of the car and made their way into the house.

Arthur nodded and opened his mouth to say something but before he could Alfred had already taken the stairs two at a time- Arthur rolled his eyes at that -and had disappeared upstairs, most likely heading to his study on the second floor. Continuing inside Arthur made his way over to the kitchen, supposing that he could get started on dinner while Alfred talked with whomever.

He was just taking the beef stew out of the oven when Alfred bounded into the kitchen like an over-eager puppy.

"Smells great, Art!" he chirped as he went to the cabinets to grab the two of them bowls and some silverware while Arthur set the stew and pasta on the kitchen table. Alfred set down his own things before sitting down across from Arthur and promptly heaved half the pasta onto his plate.

"Honestly, you shouldn't eat so much if you're trying to keep off weight," Arthur told him as he took a smaller portion (basically the little that Alfred had left behind) of pasta onto his own plate. There was no venom in the statement though and Alfred grinned at him as he reached for the ladle.

"Don't sweat it. I mean, _you_ of all people should know just how much fat I've got on me." Arthur felt his ears turn pink at the deeper meaning to the words and appropriately he scowled at Alfred. Arthur knew that Alfred was fairly religious about exercising when he could, and that really the reason he ate so much constantly was because he was such a large country and therefore needed more energy to function properly. And yes, he supposed he _could_ personally attest to the fact that underneath his clothes Alfred had a very, _very_ nice body with only a smidgen of fat on his hips (Arthur was unaware if Alfred knew about it but honestly he loved it and certainly wasn't about to tell Alfred anytime soon). Alfred just grinned and even had the nerve to wink at Arthur as he chowed down.

"Well how is it?" Arthur asked, and no he was _not_ at all nervous about Alfred's opinion of his cooking. It tasted just fine to him after all, then again he wasn't quite sure how many taste buds he had remaining so you never know. Honestly though this was _Alfred_ though. He thought that fried butter on a stick was a delicacy. Really, his worrying was ridiculous and that smile Alfred gave him had nothing to do with assuaging his fears. Absolutely nothing.

"It's good Art. Let me guess, you've been binging on the Food Network again huh? Guy Fieri and Nancy Fuller?" he joked.

"Hmph, and what if I have?" Arthur challenged, arching an eyebrow. He wouldn't take for Alfred to start insulting what he watched on the tellie, especially when the lad watched cartoons in the mornings on the weekend. Besides, if he was ever going to learn- and there was no way in hell he'd ever take Francis up on his 'private lessons' since that was just asking to be molested -then he'd best listen to the experts. Not that he needed any extra guidance mind you. It was simply that he wanted to make sure his cooking skills stayed up to par. Yes, that's it.

"Nothing, nothing," Alfred surrendered, even holding up both hands- his right still gripping the fork.

"Better be," Arthur muttered before returning to his meal. They ate in silence for a few more minutes before Arthur spoke again. "So, who exactly was it that you needed to talk to as soon as we arrived?" Arthur asked as he spearheaded a piece of beef. He tried to keep up an air of nonchalance, but he was quite curious. Alfred glanced up from his food and blinked in confusion before the metaphorical light bulb went off.

"Oh yeah! I was calling your boss!" Alfred answered cheerfully.

"Why in the world would you do that?"

"Oh, so I could have you stay here."

"What?" Arthur exclaimed. "Why the bloody hell would you do that?"

"For the dare!" Arthur stared at him in confusion before the conversation they'd had earlier at the meeting came back to him. He furrowed his eyebrows at the American sitting across from him. Honestly, he had been hoping that with Alfred's naturally short attention span that he'd forget about the whole thing but apparently that wasn't the case.

"What does this dare have anything to do with me staying here? Not that I wouldn't like to of course, but I have work to do back in London." Alfred waved off Arthur's words.

"It has everything to do with it of course! I can't just let you go back to London, then I wouldn't be able to watch it all plays out! So I talked with the Prime Minister on the line and explained everything to him!" Alfred explained excitedly.

"And the Prime Minister just let you have your way?" Arthur voiced skeptically. His current Prime Minister wasn't exactly the type of man to let his nation take an undetermined amount of time off and neglect his duties simply to raise a dog.

"Of course not," Alfred laughed. "The guy's got a stick almost as big as yours shoved up his ass. Naw, I had to get old Queenie on the line too and once I explained everything to her she gave me the green light." Arthur felt his eye twitch at the horrid nickname Alfred had called his beloved Queen by but remained silent, figuring that Alfred wasn't done quite yet.

"Anyways, she said that they'll just email you your work, so it's not technically a vacation sorry bout that, and anything else that they need you there for personally can be handled through your embassy in D.C. Of course I had to talk with the President too, but he's cool with it as long as we hand in our work by their deadlines. Said it could be seen as a 'strengthening of relations'. Plus the First Lady made me promise to send her pictures." Seemingly finished, Alfred sat back in his chair and knitted his hands behind the back of his neck, a smug look on his face.

Arthur couldn't exactly say the expression was misplaced, after all Alfred probably had to pull quite a few strings to get what he wanted (though he had a sneaking suspicion that his Queen hadn't needed much convincing). Besides, he couldn't exactly be mad about the prospect of a vacation, or at least as close to one as he could get. Then there was the added bonus that he'd have Alfred all to himself for an unknown measure of time.

"I can't decide whether I want to smack that smug expression off your face or kiss you," Arthur mused as he speared the last of his pasta and beef onto his fork. Alfred's smile only grew as he helped Arthur clear the plates and load everything into the dishwasher. As Arthur worked on handwashing he felt Alfred's hands snake around his waist as the younger nation came up from behind. Arthur hummed quietly, gently leaning into Alfred as he placed the clean dish on the counter to air-dry before starting on the next.

(And no he would not admit to anyone that they functioned like an old married couple- nor the fact that he enjoyed it immensely.)

"So, when do you actually plan on getting me a dog to take care of anyways?" Arthur asked as he worked.

"Whaddya mean me? This is all you Art. I'm just here for the ride. You could do it tomorrow." Alfred responded from behind, his breath tickling the back of Arthur's head. "Well, not the actual getting the dog part, but getting all the supplies beforehand," he amended.

"Oh no, if I'm to raise a mutt because of your stupid dare then I'm forcing you to help me," Arthur informed him as he placed the last dish on the counter and turned off the hot water.

"Hmm, fine. I guess I should since I'm the only one who'd know what the hell to do. You'd probably blow a blood vessel or something," Alfred joked.

"I assure you that I've handled much worse than a dog," Arthur huffed, turning in Alfred's arms to face him. "I did raise you after all." Alfred just shook his head and chuckled.

"You say that now, but just you wait."

Arthur ignored the secretive glint in his eyes. Honestly, how much trouble could one dog be?

 **Oh Arthur if only you knew the truth ;)**

 **Sorry you guys but we're gonna have to wait a few more chapters before the actual introduction of the puppy. All the situations I'll be presenting are real life ones that I have experienced (I've been raising dogs from the puppy phase for the majority of my life) or that other fellow dog owners have gone through. When they say that raising a pup is like raising a toddler they aren't lying, as Arthur will soon find out for himself.**

 **And yes I made Arthur the cook! Gasp! Actually my headcannon with him is that he's a decent cook (nowhere near France or Romano but he can do the basics) but when he's stressed and cooking for guests he gets scatterbrained and messes up the food (plus I'm sure his brother's like to hex his kitchen and the fairies like to mess around with him from time to time). Also he's secretly obsessed with watching the Food Network and trying to improve his cooking that way ;)**

 **I have an AP test Monday (crossing fingers) so I won't be updating this weekend. Maybe later next week if I can find the time but I make no promises.**

 **See ya!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Warnings - Language, fluffy domestic USUKUS, future destruction of socks and pillows**

 **Disclaimer - I do not own Hetalia**

Chapter 3

Arthur quickly discovered that you need to buy quite a few things if you're thinking of getting a dog. With Alfred as his guide they made their way up and down the aisles of the local PetSmart in town, chattering away about why a dog needed this or that. Of course there were some items that even Arthur knew were musts. A collar for example.

Of course it was the first item they bickered over too.

Alfred, being the overzealous Yankee he is, wanted to get a collar that had repeating American flags on it. Arthur on the other hand, wanted a more neutral collar like a solid blue or green. Obviously once they figured out the dog's gender they could buy a more specific one, not to mention that this was technically _Arthur's_ dog.

There were dozens of options from leather collars to collars with printed designs of bones and flowers, they even had one with bloody _Tinker Bell_ on it. Then there was the metal studded black collar that Alfred had the audacity to clip around his neck and then waggle his eyebrows suggestively at Arthur. That had nearly gotten them booted out of the store with how fervently Arthur cussed Alfred out while the younger was in near hysterics. He'd gotten quite a few glares from furious parents who quickly steered their children away from the blond duo. Thankfully, they ended up agreeing on an adjustable deep blue nylon collar with a matching leash to go with.

They then moved over to the dog bed section where they picked up a brown medium-sized, oval dog bed with a raised edge with thankfully little argument. Surprisingly, Alfred steered them over to another section of the store to pick up a few- wait were those baby gates?

"They're called dog gates. It's to keep the pup out of places it shouldn't be," Alfred explained, seeing the justifiably confused expression on the Englishman's face. "We don't want it going into the bedroom and stuff before it's potty trained."

"Well, it's your money," Arthur replied with a vague wave of his hand towards the two free-standing gates being crammed into the carriage. They may have to get a second carriage looking at it. Arthur voiced his concerns as Alfred steered them towards the crate section.

"Naw don't worry. The crates are all broken down so it'll fit in here with the rest of the stuff. This is the last big thing we're buying too," Alfred explained as he lifted a fairly flat box that supposedly contained a wire crate with a divider. Arthur didn't know what the divider would be needed for, but he supposed he'd just ask Alfred later.

Next they went over to the food and water bowl section and bought a fairly nondescript set of metal bowls. Then they picked up what they'd need to keep the dog clean, Arthur certainly wasn't going to have a dirty dog running all around the house. This consisted of shampoo and conditioner, a brush, and nail clippers. Arthur was a bit surprised with the last one, but supposed it made sense that their claws needed to be tended to just like human nails.

Lastly they made their way to the toy aisle and Arthur could see Alfred's eyes practically lighting up in excitement.

"Alright, now about we each pick out two toys for the dog?" Arthur suggested, a smile tugging at his lips. He'd behaved well enough on the trip (Arthur was choosing to ignore the collar incident) and thought that Alfred deserved to have a little fun shopping. Alfred nodded fervently and the two set off. For Arthur he chose a set of dog bones that supposedly lasted a while and a stuffed bear toy. As for Alfred, the boy came back with a big piece of rope to be used for tug of war and a Kong ball with a squeaker inside.

"Alright, that is everything yes?" Arthur asked, eyeing the overflowing cart.

"Haha almost. Just some dog food and that's all we need," Alfred confirmed. All together even without the soon to be addition of the dog food it looked pretty damn expensive. Arthur was glad that he wouldn't have to pay for it, though he did feel a tad guilty.

But not by much.

The costs totaled to about three hundred and though Alfred grumbled about it all the way home Arthur could see that he was excited. After all, Arthur certainly wasn't the only nation to have ever owned a pet and it seemed that, like him, Alfred had not owned one in quite a while.

When they arrived at the house Alfred was quick to jump out of the car and start setting things up around the house. His energy was infectious and Arthur soon found himself becoming excited as he laid down the food and water bowls and watched as Alfred set up the crate, putting the divider inside before covering the bottom with a couple of old blankets and then draping another over the top, saying that it's to give the puppy a sense of security. They set up the dog bed in the living room by the couch and hung the leash in the closet. Settling down for the evening (shopping had been an all-day affair) Alfred brought his laptop over to the couch and sat beside Arthur.

"So… do you wanna get a shelter dog or one from the store?" Alfred asked. Arthur blinked at him in surprise. "It's your dog so I supposed I should ask. Obviously if you want a purebred then the store is the way to go, but if you don't care too much then we could consider the shelter dogs too," he clarified. Honestly though Arthur had already had his mind set.

"If it's not too much trouble I'd like to adopt from one of the shelters," he answered. Really, he didn't see why more people _didn't_ go to shelters. Yes, if you wanted a specific breed, and a purebred at that, then a shelter wasn't the best place to go. You're better off going to a dog seller of that breed. However, even though sheltered dogs are usually an indistinguishable mix they had some of the sweetest temperaments comparably. Then there was the knowledge that you're rescuing a dog from what had probably been an unfair and cruel life up until they were placed in a shelter, giving the poor thing a second chance at a good life.

Arthur felt his heart warm under Alfred's gentle smile.

"I'm glad," he told Arthur. "Just think that tomorrow we get to be some little guy or gal's hero."

Hm, that did sound quite nice.

…

The first thing that hit Arthur as they pulled up to the shelter was the noise. It was a cacophony of high pitched yips and sharp whines that was a tad overwhelming. If he had to stay here for more than a few hours he was sure that it would give him a migraine the size of the current state they were in. Naturally, Alfred seemed unaffected by the noise- the git -grinning as he climbed out of the car.

The shelter itself was broken into three areas all closely packed together. There was the main building where both the adoption staff and the sheltered cats resided. Right outside of that was an outdoor facility that housed all the dogs, mostly pups around three months. There was a fenced in pen that the pups could play around in and a small entrance in the back to what must be where they sleep. In the back of the lot was the meeting area where you could interact with the dog, or if you brought your own dog, allow the two to meet and see if they'd like each other.

"Hey, I'm gonna go and talk to the staff, tell them we wanna adopt," Alfred told him. "Why don't you go ahead and start looking at them?"

"Alright," Arthur agreed and the two separated, Alfred off to meet the people who ran the shelter while Arthur continued towards the pens.

It was slightly heartbreaking to see the number of pups to each pen; there were about a dozen or so. They were all quite young, Arthur noting that the only dog that looked over a year old was a basset hound who sat in his own pen. Attached to the chained fence where laminated pieces of paper that listed the state where the dogs in that pen had been picked up from, the general breed that they believed them to be, how long they'd been in the shelter for, along with a few other details. It seemed that most of the puppies here had come in about six weeks ago from further down south, somewhere in the Mississippi/Alabama area.

As Arthur came up to one of the pens the dogs immediately noticed him and swarmed up to the front, practically jumping on top of each other to greet him. Arthur smiled gently at them, noting the ones that stayed a little farther back that looked at him curiously. Personally, he did not know much when it came to dog breeds, but he supposed that he'd prefer a dog with a gentle temperament- he already had one over-exuberant puppy to take care of in the form of Alfred. Two would just be too much -and probably would want a dog more on the smaller side. Arthur knew that Alfred would probably want a large dog, a lab or German Shepard mix, but he could probably get his way knowing that Alfred had a soft spot for cute and fluffy things.

"So see any that ya like yet?"

Arthur turned around to see Alfred coming up to him, a brunette by his side who was glancing at the puppies affectionately. She was nearly a head shorter than Alfred but walked with determined steps, obviously knowing exactly how in-charge she was. She looked up at Arthur with dark brown eyes and smiled as they came closer.

"Hello, my name is Sharon. I hear that you and your partner were thinking about adopting?" she asked as she extended her hand.

"...Ah, yes," Arthur replied, shaking her hand and glancing at Alfred suspiciously. Alfred merely shrugged and shook his head, ah so he hadn't said anything.

"Sorry if I said anything wrong. I kinda just assumed seeing you two," she said with a guilty shrug as she caught the look.

"No, no it's not a problem," Arthur assured her. "We are partners and Alfred has been wanting us to get a dog. My name is Arthur by the way."

"Oh, okay then. So right now we have three pens on either side that have pups that are ready to be adopted. Do you have any preferences about breed or temperament?" she asked, looking at the two of them.

"Whoa don't look at me," Alfred smiled, raising his hands in defense. "This is all Art's choice. Though I wouldn't mind getting a pup that's got a bit of energy."

"Naturally," Arthur snorted. "Regardless, I suppose I'd like a more laid back one, and perhaps a dog that is a bit on the smaller side," he informed the woman. Sharon gave a thoughtful nod before turning back to the pens.

"Well, you'll get a huge range here with the dogs since they're all mutts. Right now our most recent is this bunch in front of us who came from Tennessee. Most of these dogs are in the same litter and based on what we can tell they're mostly a mix of hunting breeds. Next to them though is a litter that came from Alabama. These ones have a bit of German Sheppard in them as you can see with their coats, but we're not quite sure what else," Sharon explained as she walked them past the pens, the two blonds looking at them curiously. Walking around to the other side of the facility they were greeted with more pens and barking puppies. On this side three of the pens had dogs in them.

"Over here are some more pups. These guys are a bit more high-strung looking, they'll most likely grow up to be around the size of a lab or retriever based on the size of their paws. I'll let you guys have some time to look at them and if you want to meet any of them, come find me and I'll bring the pup over to the meeting area," she told them, pointing at the large fenced-in enclosure behind them.

"Thanks," Alfred replied as Sharon went off to another part of the facility. "So Artie, you found any that peak your interest?"

"Hm, well I think I saw one on the other side," Arthur said as he led them back around to the front. He pointed into the pen at a small dog that was near the back of the main pack.

"Ah… Art are you sure?" Alfred asked, a bit of hesitancy in his voice. Arthur glanced at him curiously.

"What? Do you not like it?"

"Ah, no that's not it. She looks like a real doll, but well…" Alfred trailed off again, his eyes softening in what seemed to be pity gazing at it.

"Well if it doesn't work for us then we can always look at the others," Arthur told him, not understanding the reason behind Alfred's expression, before heading off to find Sharon. Once Sharon got into the pen and picked out the one that had caught Arthur's eye the three of them headed around back to the meeting area. There was a picnic bench there as well as a couple of dog toys scattered across the enclosure.

"Alright so if you want to get her attention I suggest just calling her pup. We give them generic names to keep track of them, but try not to imprint one name on them in case you folks end up changing it," Sharon explained as she set the pup down. Alfred and Arthur sat down together on one of the benches of the picnic table and as Alfred coaxed the little girl over Arthur could start to see why Alfred had had reservations.

Looking at her now, it was quite clear to Arthur that the pup was not in good shape. She was shaking like a leaf and looked quite emaciated compared to her brothers and sisters back in the pen (and considering they were all on the thin side it made it even more apparent). She clung to Alfred's leg as he gently petted her, his large hand nearly covering her entire body. While they could certainly bring her to a vet the costs would be enormous and it was quite possible that she had something that simply couldn't be treated. Arthur sighed sadly as his hand went to scratch gently under the pup's chin, her wide brown eyes staring up at him with a sort of nervous helplessness that made Arthur's heart squirm uncomfortably, knowing that he couldn't help her.

"I'm afraid she's not going to work out," Arthur finally voiced, looking up at Sharon.

"That's okay, there are plenty more pooches here for you to look at," she said as she came forward and gently picked the puppy back up and escorted them out of the enclosure.

"Are there any that caught your fancy?" Arthur asked Alfred as they stared back at the pens.

"Well, what about one of these guys?" Alfred asked as he led Arthur over to the pen with the rambunctious dogs that Sharon had suggested would get bigger.

"Mm I don't know if that'd work well love," Arthur admitted. "I think they're a tad too energetic for me. They'd end up eating all my paperwork or cause some sort of mayhem."

"True…" Alfred said eventually. He glanced at Arthur and scratched the back of his neck. "Man, I forgot how stressful it is getting a puppy."

"Don't worry, I'm sure that all of these dogs will eventually find good homes," Arthur soothed as he led Alfred away and back to the front of the facility. He truly did hope that. All of these dogs deserved warmth and love. They stopped in front the pen that had the German Shepherd mixes.

"Hm, what about that one?" Arthur asked, pointing at one of the pups. It was a female from what he could tell. She had a generic German Shepherd coat of black and tan, with one ear that perked up all the way and another that perked up only halfway before falling forward slightly. Her eyes sparked with an inquisitive light as she regarded the nations thoughtfully, though she did not follow her brothers and sisters reaction of barking and jumping over each other. Most importantly was the fact that she looked healthy.

"Yeah, she looks just our speed," Alfred said and Arthur quickly went over to find Sharon again. They re-entered the meeting enclosure and Sharon set the puppy down. Immediately it went over to Alfred and sniffed him curiously.

"Hey there girl," Alfred greeted and Arthur could tell by his tone that he was already sold. The pup wandered over to Arthur as soon as her curiosity with Alfred was sated and poked her nose against his jeans.

"Well hello there," Arthur said and rubbed the top her her head.

"Looks like she likes ya," Alfred grinned, watching the pup's tail swing back and forth happily. Alfred got up to grab a stray tennis ball and quickly started up a game of fetch with the girl- though really it more of Alfred throwing the ball, the puppy running after it, and then Alfred attempting and failing to try and get the ball back from the puppy as she ran away. Arthur glanced over at Sharon who was watching the two play.

Feeling his gaze she turned to him with an expectant look.

"I think we'll take her."

 **This was probably my favorite chapter to write so far because it gives me so many feels. This chapter was a recreation of my own visits to a local shelter where we've gotten our two current dogs from. I tried to pull as much as I could remember about how the shelter ran off the top of my head, but basically that is how my family adopted our dogs. The dog Al and Art will be adopting is modeled after my own pup (she's really like five years old at this point but she will forever be my puppy) with some of the behavior of my other dog (she's the troublemaker of the family)**

 **Everything in here is stuff you actually need to know when getting a dog, and yes they really do have a collar with Tinker Bell on it (everything listed in this chapter can be found on the Petsmarts website :) )**

 **And if any of you readers are thinking about getting a dog anytime in the future I strongly urge you to consider rescuing a dog from a shelter. They have some of the sweetest temperaments imaginable and the knowledge that you're giving an innocent creature a second chance at a better life is the best feeling.**

 **Oh and I didn't put this up top but hello new followers and favoriters, welcome! Enjoy watching our favorite blonds lose their sanity over one little fur-ball!**

 **And don't think I've forgotten about you, reviewers!**

 **Summer Leigh Wind - thank you for correcting my grammar, I wouldn't have picked up on my mistakes otherwise. And the meeting in chapter 1 was a G8 meeting, which the United Arab Emirates is not a part of, so alphabetically speaking the US and UK do sit right next to each other. I haven't seen too many other puppy-fics involving the nations which is a shame because they're perfect writing material (not that the nekos aren't awesome as well). I've only seen about two others, one of them being a really sweet/angsty human USUK au called Five Weeks by Gecko Osco which I recommend to everyone.**

 **SarahH13 - I'm glad you're enjoying the pace :) There will be some time skips here and there just to keep the fic moving at a reasonable pace but I plan on making it as realistic as possible so enjoy!**

 **AsukaLi - Hello fellow dog owner! *internet fist bump* Ohmygod raising Alfred in this century would be hell for Arthur! If I ever do a modern familial USUK fic I might just use that idea and YAS old married couple USUK is my fucking weakness XD**

 **I took my AP Bio test Monday and let me say it was _long_. I didn't even get to finish some of the open responses it took so long :P but hopefully my multiple choice grade is good enough to carry me through *crosses fingers*. We got so angry though because some kid broke a pipe in the gym and the fire alarm went off RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TEST! Needless to say it was an interesting day.**

 **Phew alright, that's it. I'll try and post the next chapter soon but until then stay classy**


	4. Chapter 4

**Warnings - Language, domestic USUKUS bliss, the slow chipping away of Arthur's sanity**

 **Disclaimer - I do not own Hetalia**

Chapter 4

There was quite a lot of paperwork to fill out in regards to adopting the dog, Ripple her collar said though Arthur was keen on changing it. Arthur let Alfred handle it for the most part, instead wandering around the inside of the building and fiddling with a few of the collars and toys the shelter had for sale incase you hadn't thought to buy anything yet. A window across from the counter showed the room where the cats were held, most napping away when Arthur happened to glance that way. Ripple was waiting outside for them to finish as well as going through one last little check up before being brought in to meet her new owners.

"Alright, so everything's checked out. I just need to know if you're going to keep the name already given or give the dog a new name," the woman behind the counter told them as she glanced up from the computer sitting in front of her.

"Oh yeah. Well whaddya think Art? Wanna change it?" Alfred asked, turning to look at the Englishman.

"Hmm?" Arthur responded, turning away from the toys and towards Alfred. "Ah yes, I think a new name would suit her."

"I think we should name her Liberty," Alfred voiced, half joking and half serious. Arthur scoffed and shook his head, crossing his arms.

"Absolutely not. I already deal with your obnoxious patriotism enough as it is. I won't let you subject this poor dog to it as well."

"Meanie," Alfred retorted, sticking his tongue out like he was five. Arthur could tell the receptionist was trying her damndest to keep a straight face at the scene.

"Perhaps Elizabeth. Now that's a good and proper name," Arthur suggested.

"Oh and you call me too patriotic," Alfred snickered. Arthur felt himself turn red.

"Well, I don't see you coming up with anything better," Arthur snapped. Alfred gave him a guilty smile.

"True… Here, what about Sadie? It's a neutral name, plus it's a two-syllable name which is recommended so that it's easier to call them," Alfred suggested, pointing at the poster taped to the wall with various suggestions for names. Arthur considered the option.

Hm, well Sadie was a nice name and thinking back to her appearance, the pooch did look like a Sadie. Plus, it didn't sound completely idiotic like Liberty had and, even though he had half a mind to argue in defense of Elizabeth, Lord knows the two of them rarely saw eye to eye. He supposed he ought to agree since he'd rather not be arguing all day with the lad and wasting other people's time. He saw Alfred looking at him hopefully and sighed. There was also the fact that he had yet to build up any sort of resistance or tolerance to Alfred's damnable puppy dog eyes- hopefully he'd have a bit more luck with the pup.

"Yes, I _suppose_ that Sadie will work," he answered and no his heart did not skip a beat when Alfred broke into a breathtaking smile. Absolutely not.

"Awesome!" Arthur rolled his eyes at Alfred's childish enthusiasm but decided not to comment on it as Alfred turned to make sure the receptionist got that. She had (obviously, she had been standing there the whole time, ignorant twit) and quickly finished up and printed out a few documents giving proof of ownership. She then had a dog tag engraved with the pup's new name along with contact information if she happened to get lost and found by a stranger. They were informed that the shelter had placed a microchip in her as well so if she ever _really_ got lost they'd be able to locate her, something that put both their minds at ease. Once that was done she taped the tag onto the documents and handed them to Alfred with a smile. After thanking her the two nations made their way outside where Sadie was waiting for them, her leash held by Sharon.

"Here's your new pooch," she said with a smile, offering the leash to Arthur. He took it and watched Sadie meandered on over to them. Alfred unceremoniously scooped her up into his arms.

"Welcome to the family Sades!" he exclaimed, beaming at the pup. Arthur had to hold in a sigh. Of course Alfred wouldn't be Alfred unless he gave it a nickname. At least it wasn't the most ridiculous one he'd ever come up with (sadly most of those belonged to Arthur, much to his distaste). Sadie blinked at him curiously before leaning forward and pressing her nose against the tip of his.

"Ack, wet! Wet!" he exclaimed, his head twisting to the side and nose scrunching up at the funny sensation. Both Sharon and Arthur laughed at the blond's antics.

"Thank you for your help today," Arthur said, turning to face Sharon.

"It's not a problem! It makes me happy seeing these pups go home with people like you two," she smiled. "I know that you three will have a lot of fun together." Arthur smiled and they thanked Sharon once more before heading off to the car, Sadie still cradled against Alfred's chest. Clambering into the car, Alfred carefully transferred Sadie onto Arthur's lap so he could drive. Arthur held her gently, she still seemed so delicate- healthy, but fragile.

He glanced up at Alfred when he heard his partner let out a defeated sigh, his bright blue eyes staring longingly at the shelter. Arthur knew without having to ask that Alfred felt guilty about leaving all the pups there, Arthur did too. However, they had managed to at least reduce the number of puppies in there by one, and that would just have to be enough.

Positioning Sadie so that he could cradle her with one hand, he let his other one find Alfred's and hold it. Alfred glanced over at him, that pained look still in his eyes and Arthur squeezed his hand.

Taking Sadie away from this place and giving her a new start at life would just have to be enough.

…

The rest of the evening was fairly normal, mundane even with their newest addition. Arthur kept a careful eye on Sadie from the kitchen as he cooked, watching her explore her new surroundings. Alfred had barricaded the stairs with one of the two dog gates they'd bought and used the other one to keep her from wandering towards the basement where Tony kept his workshop.

Alfred had already assured Arthur a thousand times that Tony wouldn't harm the puppy- Arthur had made him call him up and put him on speaker, but all that damn alien did was swear like a sailor. Apparently "Fucking whiney limey" translated into staying away from the puppy, at least that's what Alfred had said -but Arthur couldn't help but worry. That little gray freak has always inexplicably had it out for him after all.

Alfred was sitting in the living room, the evening news on as he typed away on his computer, glancing at Sadie every once in a while and providing Arthur with a second set of eyes. They'd already taken her outside and shown her the backyard. Thankfully the thing was fenced in so they didn't have to invest in an electric fence which would have been expensive. She had peed but not pooped and Arthur was concerned that she'd have an accident in the house. He knew it would be unavoidable, but he wanted to at least attempt to preserve the nice carpet and wood floors for as long as he possibly could.

Tonight was spaghetti with meatballs (Arthur actively ignored the fact that the meatballs weren't supposed to look almost black or that the pasta was supposed to be just a bit softer) and the two of them opted to eat dinner on the couch rather than at the kitchen table since they wouldn't be able to have eyes on Sadie from the table. Thankfully she had discovered the wonders of her crate and was currently napping, so they had a peaceful dinner- or well a relatively peaceful one once the near disaster of spaghetti sauce staining the couch cushion was averted, damn Alfred for stretching his legs out just far enough to cause Arthur to trip over them.

Arthur was surprised at how quiet Sadie was being. He'd done some research with Alfred that night on the laptop after searching for the nearest shelter and found that generally puppies were a bundle of energy. Perhaps it was simply because she was in a new environment, though Arthur was secretly hoping that he had gotten lucky and picked one of the rare few calm puppies.

They let her out four more times- "Bloody hell how small is her bladder?" -before Alfred locked her in her crate and the two of them went to bed.

…

Arthur groaned and shifted in bed, pushing his face into the pillow and trying to fall back asleep. When he last checked the digital alarm clock by his bedside it was two thirty in the morning, a ridiculous time of morning to be awake.

Beside him Alfred was splayed out on his back, lips slightly parted and snoring softly. Arthur was simultaneously envious and annoyed that his partner could sleep so soundly, especially with the noise. And no he wasn't referring to the snoring.

As if it was waiting just for Arthur's thought a high-pitched whimper drifted up from downstairs and Arthur cursed whatever deity was still up for being such a light sleeper as he once again snapped back into wakefulness. Sadie's cries and whimpers were what had originally woken Arthur up so early in the morning and, though Arthur was slightly concerned, he was more annoyed than anything at being woken up at such an hour and had hoped that if he ignored it for long enough that Sadie would quit her antics and go back to sleep. Sadly, a half hour of waiting had accomplished nothing except creating new bags under his eyes. His body protested as he struggled to sit up, he was _so_ warm under those sheets and Alfred's body was _so_ comfortable to curl up against, and now he was leaving it behind in order to deal with a whining puppy.

Sighing to himself Arthur quietly made his way downstairs- Alfred may not be as light a sleeper as Arthur, but he was by no means a deep sleeper -and wandered over to where they had set up Sadie's kennel, flicking on the kitchen lights as he went. A pair of miserable eyes stared up at him from behind thin metal bars and Arthur's nose wrinkled as he moved closer to the cage and smelled something that shouldn't be there. Yep, there it was in the corner of the cage: a nice little pile of poop to greet Arthur at two-thirty in the morning.

Lovely.

Grumbling under his breath, Arthur proceeded to then take Sadie outside on the off-chance that she still needed to relieve herself. Once back inside he disposed of the poop and exchanged the now-filthy sheets for some fresh ones that he gathered from the linens closet. After that was done he deposited Sadie back in her kennel, quietly lectured her for a good minute about holding it in next time (as if she could actually understand him), and then proceeded to go back upstairs and climb back into bed. He sighed to himself as he felt Alfred's body shift and an arm wrap loosely around Arthur's waist and snuggled into the American's embrace, already feeling himself slipping back to sleep.

Almost there, just a few more seconds and-

A high-pitched whining from downstairs shattered Arthur's peace and quiet and left him once again wide awake in the wee hours of the morning. Arthur muffled his groan into the pillow and silently pleaded for Sadie to go to sleep. A few minutes passed without any unusual noises and Arthur began to relax-

Only to let out a longer moan as Sadie's whimpers reached his ear. Untangling himself from Alfred's arm (a task much easier said than done) Arthur once again made his way downstairs. He crossed his arms against his chest as he glared down at the puppy. He couldn't hold the look though when she glanced up at him and sighed.

Sinking down to the wood floor he rested his side against the kennel and was just able to squeeze one hand through the openings in the bars so that he could gently run them across her fur. He felt her lean into his touch and watched as her eyes fluttered shut and she let out a content little huff as the room was plunged into silence.

"Lovely," Arthur mused sarcastically to himself. "It seems I'm now in charge to two creatures whom are afraid of the dark and unable to sleep by themselves."

There was hardly any bite in the statement though, Arthur was too tired to muster any. He just leaned his head against the bars (it wasn't comfortable in the least but Arthur couldn't find it in himself to care) and allowed his eyes to close as he continued to stroke her fur.

…

When Arthur's eyes fluttered open it took him a minute to realize that he was staring up at a ceiling rather than Sadie's kennel, and another one to figure out that he had been carefully moved while asleep onto the couch, and that someone, most likely Alfred, was making pancakes and coffee in the kitchen. Sitting up took some effort as his body was still under the impression that he should be sleeping and watched Alfred's back as he worked in the kitchen, his hips swaying back and forth gently in a pair of grey sweatpants as he hummed a song quietly and flipped a pancake.

Arthur figured that he could just stare at Alfred all day (after all that ass really was something that needed to be _thoroughly_ appreciated) but Alfred must have felt his gaze for he stiffened slightly and turned around. Sapphire met emerald and Alfred smiled happily which in turn caused Arthur to crack a small smile before he turned back to man the stove and started to sway his hips again.

Arthur forced himself up off the couch and sauntered on over to where Alfred was, wrapping his arms loosely around Alfred's waist and resting his chin on his shoulder, allowing Alfred's body to move him in time with his hips.

"Mm, morning love."

"Mornin' Art. Sleep well?" Alfred asked and Arthur could see him grinning slyly out of the corner of his eye.

"Shut it. You know just how well I slept last night," Arthur muttered, no real bite in his voice as he tried to repress the urge to yawn. He felt as they slowly came to a stop.

"Heh, sorry, couldn't resist," Alfred replied. "I figured when I saw ya sleeping against Sades' kennel that you had a bit of a rough night."

"Yes, she soiled her bedding and she wouldn't stop whining afterwards," Arthur complained, turning his head slightly to glare disapprovingly at the puppy as she ate her own breakfast against the wall. He could feel Alfred's body shaking slightly as he chuckled.

"Yeah I totally forgot about how puppies are for the first few weeks. She'll probably do it again tonight," he admitted.

"Lovely," Arthur muttered with a groan that was partially muffled by Alfred's tee shirt. "Next time you can sleep with her."

"Hey man it's your puppy, not mine."

"Alfred Franklin Jones-"

"Alright, alright, I surrender!" Alfred laughed, dodging a well placed shot to his side and then proceeding to run around to the other side of the kitchen island to get away from the elder nation. Arthur couldn't help smiling at the other nation's antics.

"Hm, I think these are burning," he stated as he glanced at the neglected pancakes.

"Wha- noooo! Arthur your bad cooking is contagious!"

 **Woo next chapter is up and Arthur and Alfred are finally beginning to tackle the challenges of raising a puppy!**

 **I'm not going to mention it in the story but Sadie's little accident in the crate is exactly why the divider is there for non-dog folks who were scratching their heads as to what purpose it has. Basically it deters the pup from using one corner of the kennel to do their business and sleep on the other side. You learn to hold it pretty quick when your only other alternative is sleeping on top of it ;)**

 **So happy school is almost over for me (one more week!) :D and I'll try to update again soon.**

 **Until then review and stay classy**


	5. Chapter 5

**Warning - Language, uncontrollable USUKUS fluff, Arthur losing control of his life**

 **Disclaimer - I do not own Hetalia**

Chapter 5

The first challenge that the duo tackled (well Arthur tackled, Alfred more or less just watched and laughed before stepping in to help) within the first few weeks of becoming dog owners in regards to Sadie was potty training. Arthur was unused to the idea that he had to physically take Sadie outside every single time she needed to go. With cats they had their litter boxes and those only needed to be cleaned out every week or so. Dogs though, were a different story. If they didn't go out then they just did their business _anywhere_ and _everywhere_.

In addition with new puppies, as Alfred cheerfully informed him, they needed to go outside much more frequently than older dogs until they learned how to better control their bladders. This meant that every half hour Arthur was herding Sadie outside in the hopes that she would explore a little, do her business, and then allow Arthur to lead her back inside. Alfred instructed Arthur to drag her over to the gardens and have her get in the habit of doing her business there as it kept it off of Alfred's manicured lawn and also fertilized the soil for Arthur's gardens.

However, with the addition of work now (his PM had decided that he'd been on vacation without paperwork long enough apparently) it was getting harder for Arthur to remember when he needed to take Sadie out. Alfred was of course no help since he also had his own work that kept him shut away in his study all day long. Then there was the fact that Sadie was not the type of dog to demand to be taken outside.

No she would just look at you with pleading eyes until you paid enough attention to her to raise the idea that she might need to go outside. Normally this wouldn't be much a problem for Arthur since he was good at reading the atmosphere (unlike _someone_ he was currently living with) but with all the work… well he was bound to miss it here and there...

"-Yeah do you think we can set it up within the next two weeks or so? My boss has a dinner party with Israel and Palestine's bosses the week after- yeah man I know it's gonna be a doozy, hopefully no fists will start flying though you kno- Art?" Alfred glanced up from his spot on the couch, iPhone cradled in his neck and laptop resting on his lap with the evening news streaming from the television across the room, towards the staircase where Arthur was rapidly walking from, holding Sadie out from his body as far as he could- even with the dog gates in place she still managed to sneak upstairs on occasion. He was making a beeline for the screen door that led out into the yard with an anxious look in his eyes.

Alfred could just barely make out Arthur's muttered mantra of, "Hold it, hold it, hold it" and couldn't help the smirk that spread out across his face.

"Alfred, door please!" Arthur pleaded as he closed in.

"Yo, Ludwig wait a second," Alfred said into the phone before setting it and the laptop down beside him and jumping to his feet. He was across the room in five seconds and threw the door open, watching with a bemused expression as Arthur darted outside and set Sadie down, sighing audibly in relief when she immediately began to pee.

Chuckling he made his way back to his spot and set himself back up.

"Sorry bout that man," Alfred apologized. "So, how does two Fridays from now sound?"

"Ja that is fine," Ludwig answered on the other end of the line. "What just happened over there?"

"Oh Arthur forgot to let Sadie out earlier and needed me to open the screen door for him so he could carry her outside fast enough so that she wouldn't pee in the house," Alfred explained.

"Who is Sadie?"

"Oh, I totally forgot that no one else knows!" Alfred laughed. "Sadie is our puppy, well, technically she's Art's puppy but I'm helping him out since he doesn't have a freaking clue what he's doing, it's hilarious watching him get so anal!"

" _Ahem_." Alfred turned his head to see Arthur glaring at him with arms crossed over his chest. He hid his mild embarrassment by grinning and waving his hand at Arthur, who only proceeded to scowl at him.

"Hm, well I am very glad to hear that… I think…"

"Aw there's nothing to worry about! Arthur accidentally fed her one of his scones the other day and she didn't die! She's got guts of steel, literally," Alfred joked.

 _smack_.

"Ack, oww babe that hurt," Alfred complained, rubbing the back of his head gently as he glared at the smug Englishman.

"Mein gott you let her eat one of those things!" Ludwig exclaimed in horror. "L-listen if you need any advice with how to raise a dog I would be happy to provide you with a manual-"

"Dude, we don't need a manual for this! Don't worry, we got this. Though then again getting a dummy book for Arthur wouldn't be such a bad idea" _smack_ "wha- man stop whacking the back of my head! Anyways man, I gotta go. So you said that Friday will work for you two?"

"Ah, ja we can do Friday two weeks from now," Ludwig told him, his voice a bit hesitant. Alfred beamed, even though the German couldn't see him.

"Awesome, I'll see you at the White House. Maybe you can swing by and say hi to Art and the pup if we have enough time!"

"Ja I would like that."

"Cool! See ya!" Alfred hung up and then pouted at Arthur. "Man, why did you keep hitting the back of my head? And when I'm on a business call too!" Arthur narrowed his eyes and huffed.

"I reckon that you gossiping about me with me _in the room_ warranted it," he retorted.

"Ah come on, it was just Ludwig! It's not like I was talking to Francis of Feliks," Alfred argued. Arthur just continued to glare down at him and Alfred threw his hands up in defeat. "Ah whatever. Anyways Ludwig and his Chancellor are flying over in two weeks and I'm going to have to be in D.C. for the weekend. Might bring Ludwig around before he leaves though. He _loves_ dogs, has three right now if I remember correctly."

"That's fine," Arthur responded, his gaze switching from Alfred to Sadie, watching as she happily chewed on the tug of war rope that Alfred had bought. He sighed and eventually sat down on the other end of the couch, blatantly ignoring Alfred. Alfred let the silence hang for another minute or so before he began to fidget. He couldn't stand to have Arthur angry at him for extended periods of time.

"Hey… are you still mad at me?" Alfred ventured hesitantly. Arthur remained silent but Alfred forged on. "You know I was just joking with Lud, right? Your cooking isn't really _that_ bad, I mean I can eat it after all! You're doing awesome with Sadie too, totally better than expected! I mean I thought you'd have lost it within the first three days so-"

"Alfred just… stop talking." Alfred immediately stopped, gazing at Arthur curiously. Arthur glanced at him and Alfred watched as those mesmerizing emerald eyes softened a fraction.

"Stop fidgeting boy, you're not in trouble."

"Oh thank _God_ ," Alfred exclaimed as he launched himself (after he had placed his laptop and phone on the coffee table of course) at Arthur. Arthur squawked in alarm as he was suddenly being manhandled into the American's lap but allowed it to happen.

"Honestly, you're ridiculous," Arthur muttered, fighting back a smile as Alfred laughed, knowing that he had definitely been forgiven now.

"Yep, ridiculous about you," he retorted. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"I can't believe I fell in love with a sap," he joked.

"Blame Hollywood babe. At least I don't have a secret stash of romance books underneath the bed where the porn is supposed to go," he teased.

"Al-fred! Not in front of the puppy!" Arthur hissed. The two of them glanced at Sadie, who had admitted defeat to the rope and was currently basking like a cat in a pool of evening sunlight hitting the carpeted floor.

"What? It's not like she understands what we're saying," Alfred laughed. "Sides she's like half asleep."

"Still though!"

"Alright alright. So I guess fucking you into the couch or across the kitchen table is a no-no now?" Alfred snickered at Arthur's bright red face, and _he_ was the one with the puritan roots.

"God, I'm in love with an idiot. A ridiculous, idiotic sap."

"Mm, love you too babe… but seriously though maybe getting you a book would be a good idea…"

"Alfred, kindly shut the fuck up."

…

Sadly, Arthur's fight to keep the household floors unsoiled was one in vain. The next day both Alfred and Arthur got too involved in their work and came downstairs to a nice little mess waiting for them.

Naturally, it was on the carpet.

Arthur groaned in defeat and went to gather the cleaning supplies while Alfred clipped Sadie's leash on and guided her outside incase she still needed to go. After the first incident though it seemed like God wanted to mock Arthur by having Sadie pee or poop every time Arthur had his back turned for more than five minutes. To add insult to injury all of them happened on carpeted floors. Never on the easy-to-clean hardwood floors, _no_ it just _had_ to be on the carpet which could and would be stained permanently if this kept up.

With Sadie's antics and the work piling up on his desk, Arthur was about ready to throw himself out a window and Alfred wisely picked up on this (he could read the atmosphere when needed) and took care of tending to the puppy and kept the cabinet they had set aside solely for the purpose of housing Arthur's tea well stocked while his partner fumed.

Waking up one night to Sadie's whines (she'd been doing better about sleeping through the night but every once in a while she woke up and wouldn't go back to sleep unless one of them came downstairs and stayed with her. Usually this was Arthur since he woke up first) Alfred glanced to the other side of the bed where Arthur usually slept. He was ready to tell the blond that he'd go and deal with it, but found that his side of the bed was empty. Looking at the alarm clock as he got to his feet Alfred saw that it was four in the morning. Quietly making his way downstairs he saw Arthur sitting against the wall next to Sadie's kennel, the puppy out of the kennel and curled up, quite happily, against Arthur's chest. Alfred just stood there for a moment, engraining the picture into his memory, before he continued into the room. Arthur looked up at him in surprise but said nothing as Alfred settled down next to him, shoulders touching.

"I would have gotten up you know," Alfred murmured quietly. Careful not to wake Sadie, Alfred rubbed the fur right behind her ears. "I know you were working late yesterday."

"No, it's fine," Arthur replied. "I don't really mind." The two lapsed into silence again, the only noise in the room being the subtle tick-tock of the grandfather clock in the livingroom.

"You know, I don't think even _you_ were this aggravating to take care of," Arthur stated, glancing from Alfred to the puppy. Alfred smiled at the backhanded compliment. He knew Arthur meant well.

"Well, they do say that raising a puppy is like raising a toddler," Alfred replied. Arthur let out a small chuckle.

"I think I'm starting to realize that."

"I won't lie," Alfred told him, voice suddenly serious. "I kinda dared you on a whim. Thought that it would help loosen that stick in your ass just a little." Arthur scowled but allowed Alfred to continue. It was obvious from the way he spoke that he'd been thinking on this for a while. "But I've been thinking that maybe this is a bit too much for you. We've still got a long way to go with her, I mean we haven't even gotten to the teething stage yet and you look like you're ready to punch someone." Arthur grumbled at that. "So I'll understand if you want to bow out now and head back to London. I've raised pups before so I can handle this by myself just fine." Alfred watched as Arthur turned and looked at the puppy, his hands gently petting her soft fur. He was quiet for a few minutes before finally speaking.

"No, I don't think I'll be leaving anytime soon," Arthur told him, glancing back up to look straight at Alfred. "B-but don't think I'm doing this for you git. I'm a gentleman, and a gentleman keeps his word even if it is just a stupid bet. Besides, if I left her alone with you Lord knows what would become of her." Alfred just stared at Arthur as he became progressively redder, smiling the whole time. Having lived with Arthur since his colonial days Alfred had long since cracked the codes that uncovered the words hidden beneath Arthur's contradictory silver-tongue. Translating it unconsciously, Alfred understood what he was trying to say.

 _I'm too proud to admit it but I care about you and Sadie and I can't bear to leave just yet, even if she is annoying._

"Love you too babe," Alfred said, lips brushing against Arthur's forehead as he leaned in and kissed him there.

"Git," Arthur muttered.

"Arthur, language! The puppy's right there," Alfred whispered mockingly, resisting the urge to laugh loudly as Arthur scowled at him.

"I swear I must be a masochist for loving you."

 **And Arthur has finally been introduced to the world of raising puppies ;)**

 **I don't know about other puppy owners but I find the potty training phase and teething phase to be the most annoying but I suppose in the end it's all worth it.**

 **Midna18 - Aw shucks you're making me blush. My writing certainly isn't as good as someone like RobinRocks' but I try and I totally get you on the shelter thing. I know when I adopt again I'll need someone to come with me to keep me from adopting all the animals there :)**

 **Adri-Swan - I'm glad you like the puppy's name! Sadie is such a cute name and works for almost every dog breed out there I think.**

 **Alright so I'm signing off now. I'll try to update soon but in the meantime feel free to leave a review.**

 **See you later!**


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